Hatch Chile Bacon Mac & Cheese

There are so many ways to use Hatch Chile, but this is one of my all-time favorites. If there was one excuse to fire up your oven in August, this would be it. Salty, Savory, Spicy, Smokey and Slightly Sweet this Mac & Cheese has it all.

Ingredients

Note: Using pre-shredded cheese is fine, but it’s usually been coated with some kind of starch to keep it from clumping in the bag – if you want that really ooey, gooey smooth mouthfeel get yourself a cheese grater (this one from Gorilla Grip is the best I’ve found and is the one I use in my kitchen) and grate your cheese yourself.

1. 16 oz elbow macaroni (or Cavatappi, or really any small-ish, curly pasta shape)
2. 8 oz sharp cheddar
3. 8 oz smoked Gruyère (or other smoked cheese)
4. 16 oz Monterey Jack
5. 1/2 cup (one stick) butter
6. 1/2 cup AP flour
7. 4 cups half n half
8. 2 cups Hatch Chile, roasted and diced (canned is fine; fresh is best)
9. 12-16 oz cooked bacon, crumbled (Click Here to learn how to make the easiest, most hands-off, no clean-up, no-mess bacon that’s better than any bacon you’ve made… it’s how the restaurants do it!)
10. 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs (optional)
11. Kosher Salt and Black Pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. Grease a 9 x 13 casserole dish and set aside
3. Grate cheese and toss together in a mixing bowl until different cheeses are evenly combined.
4. Cook pasta, 1 minute shy of package directions – drain, rinse under cool water. Transfer half the pasta to your casserole dish.
5. In a 5qt sauté pan (or similar), melt butter over medium heat. Season aggressively with Kosher Salt and Black Pepper.
6. Once the better is completely melted and somewhat foamy, slowly sprinkle in flour, a few tablespoons at a time, and whisk/stir continuously, until a roux begins to form and the flour no longer smells raw.
7. Slowly pour in half-n-half, whisking continuously. Be sure to whisk continuously, and don’t neglect the corners as you add the half-n-half in a steady stream. (Congratulations – you’re now making a béchamel sauce).
8. When béchamel has thickened to the consistency of pancake batter, remove from heat.
9. Add around half the béchamel sauce, half the cheese, and all the Hatch Chile and Bacon to the casserole dish and gently smooth with a spoon
10. Add the rest of the pasta on top, followed by the rest of the roux, and smooth again.
11. Cover with aluminum foil, and bake for 45 minutes in 350°F oven
12. If using breadcrumb topping: melt 4 tablespoons butter in a skillet; add breadcrumbs and stir and toss until butter pan is dry and breadcrumbs begin to toast slightly.
13. After 45 minutes, remove casserole from oven and remove aluminum foil cover (keep it in case you need it later though)
14. Sprinkle breadcrumbs evenly over the top, and then bake for another 45 minutes until golden brown on top and bubbly around the edges. If breadcrumbs start to brown too much, loosely tent with foil.
15. Remove from oven – allow to cool a minimum of 15 minutes, and up to 45 minutes, before serving.